Nitrek News

THURSDAY, March 1, 2018 – Optimism can benefit angina patients, according to researchers who suggest doctors can help these folks feel more hopeful. Angina is chest pain that occurs when the heart isn't getting enough oxygen. The pain can be severe, and it's a common reason for emergency department visits. Angina can have a major impact on quality of life, said study lead author Dr. Alexander ...

-- Your pharmacist may be the health professional that you see more than any other. It's important to get to know that person, since a pharmacist can support your health in many ways. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mentions some examples: Discussing your medication --Pharmacists know all about medication side effects, and the best ways to use medicines. Identifying generic ...

FRIDAY, Nov. 3, 2017 – Heart experts are cautiously embracing the results of a new, landmark clinical trial that questions the value of opening blocked arteries to relieve chest pain. Chest pain sufferers who received a stent – a tiny wire mesh tube – to reopen an obstructed artery did not show any more improvement than people who only took medicine to improve their condition, the British ...

THURSDAY, Nov. 2, 2017 – With findings that some experts believe could change cardiovascular care, a new study suggests that the placebo effect of stents in heart patients with chest pain may be far more pronounced than thought. That could mean that drug therapy alone, rather than the pricey, artery-opening devices, is all that's needed for certain patients, the researchers said. "The most ...

THURSDAY, Sept. 28, 2017 – Meditation may help reduce some risk factors for heart disease, according to a new statement from the American Heart Association. The statement, released Thursday, also noted that a healthy lifestyle and medicines to control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other heart threats are the most effective ways to prevent heart disease. "Although studies of ...

TUESDAY, Aug. 29, 2017 – If the cold weather makes you shiver, your blood vessels and heart may be quivering, too – and that may be enough to trigger a heart attack in some people, new research suggests. The study found that more heart attacks occur when temperatures drop below freezing, suggesting people with plaques in their coronary arteries may not cope well with the body's response to ...

FRIDAY, Aug. 11, 2017 – Adults who've been hospitalized with pneumonia or sepsis have a higher risk of heart disease, a new European study reports. Researchers examined data from nearly 237,000 Swedish men. They were followed from age 18 into middle age. The study found that those admitted to the hospital with pneumonia or sepsis (a bacterial infection of the blood) had a six times higher risk ...

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9, 2017 – After steep price hikes, use of two common heart medications declined significantly in U.S. hospitals, a new study shows. The drugs, nitroprusside (Nitropress) and isoproterenol (Isuprel), have been used for decades. The findings disprove claims that price increases do not reduce patient access to and use of certain medications, the Cleveland Clinic researchers said. ...

FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2017 – The expiration dates on over-the-counter and prescription medications seem pretty black and white, but there's some question about whether drugs last even longer. Expiration dates typically range from 12 to 60 months after production. But manufacturers aren't required to determine how long they'll remain potent after that, enabling them to set their own expiration dates ...

TUESDAY, July 25, 2017 – Hands-only CPR training is now available at kiosks in three more major U.S. airports, bringing the total number to seven. The three airports are Cleveland Hopkins International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, and Orlando International, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Since 2016, more than 20,000 visitors have learned hands-only CPR from ...

WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 – Just a few healthy lifestyle habits can reduce black Americans' risk of high blood pressure, researchers say. "We found that even small improvements in cardiovascular health can reduce risk for developing high blood pressure," said study lead author John Booth III, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nearly one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, ...

WEDNESDAY, June 14, 2017 – Millions of older people often turn to do-it-yourself home blood pressure monitors to track that vital health sign. But a small, new Canadian study suggests that readings from the devices are wrong most of the time and could put patients at risk. A team led by Jennifer Ringrose, of the University of Alberta in Calgary, tested dozens of home monitors used by 85 patients ...

MONDAY, March 6, 2017 – Only 20 percent of patients seeking care for stubborn high blood pressure take all the medicine they're supposed to, a new Dutch study finds. "Another 20 percent are not taking any of their blood pressure medications," study senior author Dr. Peter Blankestijn said in an American Heart Association news release. As a result, patients sought care for a condition they could ...

TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 – Heart disease affects more than just the heart. It also can take a toll on the legs, feet, kidneys and even the brain, according to vascular surgery experts. Heart disease is a general term, usually linked to arteriosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries," the Society for Vascular Surgery explained. Arteriosclerosis is a progressive disease in which plaque builds up in ...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 8, 2017 – Young adults with any amount of calcified plaque in their arteries are already at risk of a heart attack, a new study finds. Among those 32 to 46 years old, even a little calcified plaque – called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries – can boost the odds for fatal or nonfatal heart disease fivefold over the next 12 years, researchers found. "Heart disease ...